Marcus Trescothick fears England can afford no more opportunities lost to bad weather as they seek to build a one-day side up to challenging the world's best.

Like many other sides, England decided to regroup after their disappointing World Cup campaign in South Africa.

And wicket keeper Geraint Jones would have been their eighth debutant to appear since then had the opening match of the NatWest Series against New Zealand not been washed out.

Yesterday's game at Old Trafford was the sixth complete washout England have suffered in their last 10 scheduled matches, a sequence which is not only frustrating but has also denied captain Michael Vaughan and coach Duncan Fletcher the opportunity to look at players in different positions.

Their weather curse has also prevented the squad gaining valuable experience together as they build up for the ICC Champions Trophy tournament being staged in England this September and the longer-term goal of winning the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

"This weather is tough, particularly for the guys who are just playing one-day cricket," said opener Trescothick, who is now England's second most experienced one-day player behind Darren Gough with 80 appearances.

"We've obviously played a lot of cricket over the last eight months, and it doesn't seem so disjointed for us. But it's difficult for the guys coming into the team just for the one-dayers," said Trescothick.

"We're not getting to see the guys we want to see in the sort of situations we need to see them in. They are losing the experience, and we've now lost six games out of 10 - and that leaves a big hole with players not getting the chances they should."

Trescothick, now recovered from the left-ankle injury he sustained during training on Monday, had been pencilled in to continue his opening partnership with Vaughan, Jones being tried at number three had the Old Trafford match gone ahead.

Yorkshire's Anthony McGrath, who has not played for England since last summer's NatWest Series final victory over South Africa at Lord's, was also set for an overdue run-out - while Stephen Harmison was to continue his education at one-day level, having made only 11 previous appearances.

"I've only played 80-odd games and I'm meant to be experienced. But you have people in the opposition who have played 250 games, and that to me is experience," said Trescothick.

"Anybody in the top four could open the batting, really. What you really need is experience so you are comfortable with each other, and that's not just with one person but the whole team."